MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is a Macintosh notebook computer designed by Apple. It is positioned as the ultraportable in Apple's MacBook Family and was introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. Apple describes it as the "world's thinnest notebook". Overview To reduce the computer's size and weight, Apple omitted certain features long standard on laptops. It is Apple's first notebook since the PowerBook 2400c without a built-in removable media drive.Apple Macintosh 2400c/180 specs, EveryMac, retrieved January 2008. Users may purchase an external USB SuperDrive, or use bundled Remote Disc software to access the optical drive of another computer.MacBook wireless specifications,Apple Inc. retrieved Jan2008 It is the first subcompact laptop offered by Apple since the full-featured 12" PowerBook G4 was discontinued in 2006. Similarly to the PowerBook Duo series which preceded it, it lacks many features of the larger MacBooks, including a security slot and an Ethernet port,MacBook Air specifications, Apple Inc., retrieved Jan2008 (although a USB-to-Ethernet adapter may be purchased separately).Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Apple Inc., retrieved Feb2008 The MacBook Air offers one USB port. Like the entry-level MacBook, the MacBook Air lacks Cardbus and ExpressCard slots, both standard features in older and newer laptops. The device lacks a FireWire port as well. The Air is Apple's first laptop computer to be offered with an optional solid-state hard drive. ArsTechnica found "moderate" performance improvements of the 64 GBIn this article, the conventional prefixes for computer storage denote base-10 values whereby “kilobyte” (KB) = 103 bytes , “megabyte” (MB) = 106 bytes and “gigabyte” (GB) = 109 bytes. solid-state drive over the standard 80 GB hard drive in tests. On October 14, 2008, new models were announced boasting improved capacities of 128 GB (solid-state) and 120 GB (hard drive).http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_air?mco=MTIyMDI The Air comes with 2 GBIn this article, the conventional prefixes for computer RAM denote base-2 values whereby “kilobyte” (KB) = 210 bytes , “megabyte” (MB) = 220 bytes and “gigabyte” (GB) = 230 bytes. RAM memory as standard.What does $1,300 extra really get you?, Jacqui Cheng ArsTechnica, 5 Feb 2008 The CPU on the original Air was an specially designed Intel Core 2 Duo chip, which reduced the chip's packaging size by 60 percent. The processor found on the current Air is a low voltage, small form factor Core 2 Duo "Penryn", with 6MB of cache and runs on a 1066 MHz bus. The laptop has the magnetic latch system of the MacBook and an aluminum casing like the MacBook Pro. The oversized trackpad offers iPhone-like Multi-Touch gestures, an improvement over previous MacBook trackpads. Among the gestures are pinching, swiping, and rotating.MacBook Air features, Apple Inc., retrieved January 2008. The MacBook Air is pre-loaded with Mac OS X v10.5 and iLife '08. Remote Disc ]] The MacBook Air can wirelessly access the optical drive of another Mac or Windows PC that has the Remote Disc program installed, allowing the installation of applications from a CD or DVD. It can also reinstall the system software from the included installation DVD. Remote Disc supports netbooting, so the MacBook Air can boot from its installation DVD in another computer's drive. User-serviceability Unlike the rest of the MacBook family, the MacBook Air has no directly user-replaceable parts. Its hard drive, memory, and battery are enclosed within the casing, with memory soldered directly to the motherboard. The MacBook Air's battery is not easily replaceable, enclosed in a manner similar to the iPod and related Apple product lines.MacBook Air: top 10 things wrong with it The hard drive is not soldered and can be replaced through a non-trivial disassembly procedure. Solid-state drives (SSDs) are commercially available. As part of the out-of-warranty service, Apple offers to replace the battery for a fee. It may be possible for the end user to replace the battery, though it is unclear whether this process would void the notebook's warranty. Users looking to replace batteries through third-party vendors will need to wait until replacement batteries are made available for this model. Environmental considerations Apple incorporated several features in the design of the MacBook Air intended to make it more friendly to the environment. A Greener Apple, Steve Jobs, Apple. In response, Greenpeace stated, "We can say that Apple is getting greener, but it's still not green enough." For more information about Apple's environmental record, see Apple Inc.#Environmental Record. Concerns about overheating and CPU-lockup Several MacBook Air usersThe MacBook Air: when cool becomes [ouch! Hot!] Bleeding Edge blog, 13 March 2008. since the release of the first-generation product have complained of problems with severe overheating, causing CPU lockup. This effect appears to be exacerbated in warmer climates, such as northern Australia. A software update released by Apple in early March attempted to fix the problem but had mixed results.Apple’s MacBook (hot) Air problem, Philip Elmer-DeWitt, CNN Fortune Apple 2.0 blog, 13 March 2008. The problem seems to appear during system-intensive tasks such as video playback, video chatting, or playing games.Apple fans burned by hot Airs, Asher Moses, The Age, 13 March 2008. Turning the integrated fans to full speed by using third-party software or using USB-powered cool-pads does not cool down the notebook sufficiently to prevent core shutdowns; undervoltinghttp://paulstamatiou.com/2008/05/11/putting-an-end-to-macbook-air-core-shutdown Putting an End to MacBook Air Core Shutdown], Paul Stamatiou, 11 May 2008. the CPU, however, solves the MacBook Air's problems with overheating and CPU lockups in most cases. In September 2008 Apple published a firmware update fixing the CPU-lockup issues. Criticism The MacBook Air has been criticized for its high price compared to other notebooks of similar or better specification, with Engadget suggesting that a premium is being paid for its form factor.MacBook Air review The MacBook Air has also been criticized for the difficulty in accessing the headphone and USB port. Because of tight clearance, some devices, including some headphone jacks and 3G USB cellular modems will not fit, requiring users to purchase either a powered USB hub or an extension cable in order to use their devices.Adding insult to injury: USB 3G modems and even some thumb drive and mp3 players will not fit in the MacBook Air flip down USB portThin is in: Ars Technica reviews the MacBook Air: Page 2 A parody image on the Internet compares the lack of features of the Air to the Commodore SX-64, with the only advantage of the Air being a backlit keyboard. http://regmedia.co.uk/2008/01/19/macbookcommodorecompare.jpg The MacBook Air lacks a FireWire port. It does not support Target Disk Mode of any kind, which would have enabled it to be used as an external hard drive for quick data transfers. Macworld | Editors' Notes | MacBook Air: Holding my breath Those who have used video mode in iChat will notice a lower screen resolution and lower-quality display of the other party's video image. Specifications Advertising The MacBook Air launch was accompanied by a television commercial emphasizing its thin form factor. In the commercial a hand unthreads a manila envelope and slides out a MacBook Air, then opens it to wake it from sleep. The music playing is "New Soul" by Yael Naïm.[http://idolator.com/354270/hey-lets-write-a-song-called-steve-jobs-is-dreamy Hey, Let's Write A Song Called "Steve Jobs Is Dreamy"] 100 And Single, Idolator. Accessed 12 February 2008 This advertisement has often been parodied and comically reproduced, often depicting much thicker models being pulled out of manila envelopes in the same fashion, sometimes with difficulty. One such parody, purportedly from market rival Lenovo, depicts a failed attempt to return a MacBook Air to its envelope with a variety of accessories, before removing that manufacturer's ThinkPad X300 notebook from a similar envelope.Not funny, Lenovo, The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, Daniel Lyons, 29 April 2008. A few of these video parodies are featured on YouTube. See also *Comparison of Macintosh models *MacBook *MacBook Pro *MacBook family References External links *Apple - MacBook Air *MacBook Air Developer Note Category:Laptops Category:Macintosh laptops Category:MacBook Category:x86 Macintosh computers Category:2008 introductions ar:ماك بوك إير cs:MacBook Air da:MacBook Air de:Apple MacBook Air es:MacBook Air fr:MacBook Air ko:맥북 에어 is:MacBook Air it:MacBook Air hu:MacBook Air nl:Apple MacBook Air ja:MacBook Air no:MacBook Air uz:MacBook Air pl:MacBook Air pt:MacBook Air ro:MacBook Air ru:MacBook Air sk:MacBook Air fi:MacBook Air sv:MacBook Air te:మ్యాక్‌బుక్ ఎయిర్ zh:MacBook Air